Current owner, Rhys Knowles, who has run the pub for 12 years, has put it up for sale as would like to return to Wales to spend more time with his young family.

He said: “Owd Betts means a lot to me personally, as it has been part of my life for a long time. When I knew I had to sell it, to spend more time with my wife and two young children, it was important for me to find a business broker that would understand its significance in the local area and treat it with respect.

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I hope we will find a new owner that will give it as much love as I have. Owd Betts is an institution, and people come back because of what it is. I don’t want it to go to someone who will turn it into a wine bar.

“Owd Betts is a special place and it will be difficult for me to leave. It means a lot to many people in the area, and I look forward to handing it over to someone else, to give them their place in its history.”

Owd Betts near Rochdale

It’s on the market with estate agents Hilton Smythe.

Group managing director Gareth Smyth said: “Owd Betts is a fantastic business for us to work with, as it has so much local history, and the new owners will not only be getting a pub, they will be getting a piece of Rochdale’s heritage.

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“At Hilton Smythe, we get a lot of businesses with interesting stories, and Owd Betts is one of the best. We want to find the perfect owner to come and take it over, and we hope the ghost of Betty will get on well with them too.”

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